Quick release pistol holster



F. FRANZ -QUIcK RELEASE PIsToEHoLsTER March 20, 1934.

Filed Oct. 22. 1931 'f INVENTOR- y E BY lull-,$511,571

55j mediately engage.

Patented Mar. 20, 14934A UNiTED STATES QUICK RELEASE PISTOL HOLSTERApplication october 22, 1931, serial No. 570,414 1 claim. (C1. 224-2)This invention relates to pistol holsters.

An object of the invention is to provide a sirnple and eiiicient holsterwherein the pistol is automatically latched upon proper insertiontherein, and provided with means whereby the pistol can be very quicklyand easily removed from the holster when the latch is released.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will moreclearly appear from l0 the detailed description given below when takenin connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of thespecification and which illustrates a present preferred form of theinvention.

Broadly considered the invention concerns a holster into which a pistolis to be inserted. This holster is provided with a latch elementdisposed in such manner as to yieldingly engage a portion of the pistoland hold it in the holster,

2o thus acting as a catch or latch for the pistol. Closely associatedwith this latch member is a resilient element, preferably a spring, withwhich a portion of the pistol contacts as the pistol is inserted intothe holster and which element is put under a predetermined degree oftension upon insertion of the pistol and before the latch engages thepistol. The effect of this spring element thus contacting with thepistol in a tension manner is to create a tendency to move the pistolpartly out of the holster upon the release of the latch.

The invention more particularly concerns the provision of the latch andthe spring ejector element in the form of a single unit which can bemanufactured as a unit and placed readily within the holster by means ofsuitable rivets, thus simplifying the construction and assembly of thedevice in the holster.

With the ordinary trigger guard catch which has been previously employedto hold pistols in holsters the difficulty with this sort ofconstruction has been found to be that when the foreiinger of the handpresses the catch to release the pistol, there is no created tendency tomove the pistol slightly out of the holster so that if the latchreleasing finger is withdrawn from the latch before the pistol has beenmoved by the hand from its fully inserted position, the latch will catchagain without the user realizing it and when he starts to pull thepistol out of the holster 5o it will jam. By providing the springelement above described, the pistol is moved far enough from its fullyinserted position at the very instant the catch is released so that whenthe iinger is taken off the latch it does not again im- Thus by thissimple, compact construction all the user has to do is to press thelatch member sufficiently to release it from engagement with the pistolwhereupon the ejector I element immediately moves the pistol far enoughso that the latch upon release will not re-engage. This provides apositive, sure release of the latching element, a necessity developed bythe very vital need in the use of firearms that when they have to beused they generally have to be used in a great hurry. v

The invention is shown in the drawing which has been prepared toillustrate the present preferred form of the invention, and in thisdrawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through 'Z0 the holstershowing the pistol latched or locked therewithin;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the pistol as it is partly withdrawnfrom the holster by the action of the ejector;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on the line 80 The present preferredform of the invention is shown in the drawing as employed in connectionwith an ordinary pistol holster 10 into which the pistol 1l isinsertable. As the pistol 11 is 85 fully inserted in the holster 10 asshown in Fig. l, the trigger guard 12 thereof lies adjacent the latchelement 13, which has a raised shoulder 14 adapted to lie back of aportion of the guard y and hold the pistol in the holster. This latchelement is mounted on and forms part of a spring strip 15. 'Ihe upwardspring tendency of this latch element is limited by the stop plate 16.The strip 15 and the stop plate 16 are co-extensive throughout aconsiderable length and are riveted together with another plate 17, thelower end of which is raised or offset and extends laterally in the formof a spring linger 18. These three plates as riveted together form acompact Y unit which can be manufactured economically and assembled as aunit ready for assembly in the holster. The laterally projecting springplate 18 is so disposed with respect to the position of the pistol whenfully inserted in the holster, as y shown in Fig. 1, that when it isengaged by the pistol finger the latch 13 engages the trigger guard 12and is placed under tension by being displaced during this engageemnt.Therefore, when the latch member 13 is fullyengaged the ,l spring nger18 is under tension and engaging '110 the pistol, preferably the forwardface of the main body portion of the pistol. The tendency of this springelement is to at least partly eject or move the pistol from the holster.It is obvious, therefore, that when the forenger of the hand naturallyextends into the holster through the trigger guard it presses down onthe latch member 13 to release it from the trigger guard 12. At theinstant of release, the compressed state of the spring finger 18 causesthe instantaneous movement of the pistol to the position shown in Fig.2. This movement is suicient to entirely release the trigger guard fromthe catch and takes effect so quickly that it is impossible for thelatch to re-engage after having once been released. This insures theuser of the pistol that once he has released the latch it may notpossibly and instantly re-engage to prevent the pistol from beingquickly drawn out of the holster, if he should absentmindedly lift hisnger from the latch. This provides a very positive and sure release ofthe pistol and accelerates the easy and speedy manner with which it canbe withdrawn.

The latch and ejector element as above mentioned is assembled as oneunit and suitably riveted together and then assembled in any desiredmanner within the leather of the holster. The spring finger 18 may, ifdesired, be provided with a suitable non-metallic covering (not shown)to prevent undue wear on the pistol.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to apresent preferred form thereof it is not to be limited to such detailsand forms since many changes and modications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadestaspects. Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms andmodifications of the invention which may come within the language orscope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a holster into which a pistol is adapted to beinserted, said pistol having a trigger guard and a body portion, a platefastened to the holster and having a free resilient end portionextending laterally and upwardly to engage with the body of the pistolwhen fully inserted into the holster, a second plate fastened on top ofthe rst plate and having a free end bent over and upwardly to act as astop element, and a third plate fastened at one end on top of the othertwo plates and having a shoulder at the free end adapted to move in backor" the trigger guard when the pistol is fully inserted in the holsterto prevent the withdrawal of the pistol from the holster, the free endof said third plate adapted to be limited in its outward movement by thebent-over end of the second plate.

FERDINAND FRANZ.

